As is well known in the medical profession, patients are frequently injured from falls from wheelchairs or hospital beds. Although methods are known for forcibly restraining individuals within wheelchairs or upon beds, such retraining methods generally cannot be used for extended periods of time without causing the individual extreme discomfort and/or physical trauma.
With respect to wheelchairs, falls typically occur when the wheelchair occupant is not restrained within the wheelchair and the wheelchair encounters a sudden stop or obstruction which causes the occupant to lunge forward out of the wheelchair and onto the floor. With respect to hospital beds, falls often occur due to the bed occupant inadvertently falling off of either edge or the bottom of the bed and onto the floor. Oftentimes, such bed related falls are caused by the confusion many patients experience due to the new, unfamiliar hospital environment. Though, as previously stated, currently known wheelchairs and hospital beds include safety mechanisms, such devices attempt to restrain patient movement and are not adapted to cushion the impact of an individual falling therefrom. Thus, there exists a need in the art for an impact cushioning device attachable to wheelchairs, beds, toilets, ambulation therapy equipment and the like which is operable to prevent occupants from fall-related injuries.